Tourniquet



Oct. 13, 1931. A, R, KEMPF 1,827,241

TOURNIQUET Filed Oct. 24. 1929 Patented Oct. 13, 1931 ARTHUR kunnen,l on' SPRINGFIELD, rENNEssnn TOURNIQUET v Application filed October 24:,V 1929;' Serial Nor. 402,140.

This invention relates -to surgical appliances and more particularlyto-a tourniquet by means of which pressure may be exerted about a persons arm and cause the veins to f 5 be extended and serums or medicines injected into .the veins. v V- Cnc object of theinventionis-to provide a tcurniiquet consisting of a'bandaging strip haring enclosed within a portion ,of its length 1u an intlatable tube or bladder adapted Yto be in Hated after the strip is bound about -a persons arm and when inflated apply equal pressure about the arnn -1 .f'inether object; ef the invention is to pro- 15 vide a tourniquet in which the amount of pressure exertedby the inlated bladder may be controlled and this pressure caused to gradually increased until the desired pressure has been obtained and also4 gradually reduced and .zo thereby prevent danger of a hypodermic needle inserted into a vein becoming displaced or broken due to muscular reaction when the pressure is increased or released.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for inlating the bladder and improved means for controlling passage of air out of the bladder.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein I 3o Figure l is a perspective view of the irnproved tcurniquet with a portion of the bandaging strip broken away about one end of the bladder, y y

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken 25 on the line 2 2 of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the bladder and the portion of the bandaging strip in which the bladder is dis-A posed, f

G- Fifz. 4l is an enlarged'sectional viewtaken lengitudin allv through the air outlet and clos sure cap for the same, and n Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a modified construction. l5 The bandaging strip 1 of the improved tourniquet is formed of soft fabric and consiste of a strip of material folded and stitched together along its edges. Therefore, the Y bandaging strip will be of double thickness 9 which not only increases its strength but also. vprovides the strip with'la pocket tore-V becoaning caught when twisting `a bandage 'and cau-sing the arm to be bruised. y l

`In ordervto inflate thebag, there has! been `provided a rubber bulb 7 formed with anloutlwhen the bulb is compressedthe check Avalve ceive a bladder 2. The bladder is formedof rubber and is disposed in one end portion of y.

kthe 'bandaging strippas shown inI Figures. l

and 3. v Intermediate its endsthebladder is provided vwith a neck 3 preferably formed yof metal although any suitable material may be employed. his neck projects outwardly and is adapted to extend through anl opening left in the side seam of the bandaging strip. :U3 A collarI l is formed' about the neck to Vbear against the inner 'surface of the bladder and the neck is'externally threaded so that. after it has beenfpassed through an opening'formed in the bladder and a washer 5 applied to the neckto bear against, thev outer surface of the bladdera securing .nut 6 may bek applied to the neck andwhen tightened cause the portion of the bladder `about its neck-receiving opening to be firmlygripped',between'fgthe lfia-nge land..k washer 5. Thereforej the neck will-,be very rnily secured tothe bladder danger of a leak occurring aboutthe neck prevented vlierinnallythe bag orbladder 2 is hat and, therefore,l the bandaglngstrip may be bound tightly yabout `a personsarm but Whenthe bag isr inflated it tendsnto assume a shape circular in*cross-sectionandthe, :1n-

.dated bag exerts pressure which isevenly distributed about the arm instead` of";being greater at. onepoint which wouldbe. thecase if thetourniquetwas. tightened by twisting or bypressure exerted at onepoint` about the n arm.. This alsopreventsdanger ofthe skin all let neckv 8 and an inlet neck Stat itsj`v opposite ends. A-check valvevlO is -tted into` theinlet neck 9; and since this. check valveopens inwardly' and is adaptedto be closedby pressure exerted whenthe bulb is kcompressed air may be dra-wninto the bulb through the inletbut 95 will beelosed and the air forced out of the bulb, through the nipplellmounted inthe outlet neck 8. f A tube 12 of any length desired andf-preferablyfformed of rubber so iliatitpwill be flexiblebut at the samer time 1Go air-tight has one end fitted tightly about the outer end portion of the neck 3 of the bag and the outer end of the tube is secured tightly about one end portion of a short tube or duct 13. This duct 13 is connected with the nipple 11 by a Short piece of rubber tubing 14, and from an inspection of Figure 2 it will be readily seen that when the bulb is compressed air forced out of the bulb through the nipple 11 will pass through the duct 13 and tube 12 into the bag 2 in order to inflate the bag. A side arm or escape neck 15 extends transversely from the duct 13 intermediate its length and this neck which is externally threaded carries a cap 16 having a rubber disk or pad 17 disposed therein to bear against the open outer end of the neck to tightly seal the same when the cap is screwed tightly into place. Itis desired to have the air escape through the neck 15 without it being necessary to entirely remove the cap and, therefore, the walls of the cap have portions pressed outwardly, as shown at 18, thereby defining passages 19 extending longitudinally of the cap, as clearly shown in Figure 41. From an inspection of this figure7 it will be seen that when the cap is loosened and partially unscrewed from the neck 15 communication will be established between the neck and the inner ends of the'passages 19 and, therefore, air may pass from the neck through these passages. By this arrangement it is not necessary to entirely remove the cap in order to allow the air to escape and there will be no danger of the cap becoming lost.

When the improved tourniquet is in use, the end portion of bandage strip having the bag or bladder disposed therein is applied to a persons arm and is preferably so located that the bag extends entirely about the arm with its ends meeting. The remaining portion of the bandaging strip is wrapped about the portion containing the bag and the free end of the strip tucked into place so that it will be held and prevented from slipping. The cap 16 is closed and the bulb alternately compressed and allowed to expand. At each compression air will be forced past the check valve 18 of the nipple 11 and through the duct 13 and pipe or tube 12 into the bag and as the bulb expands a fresh supply of air will be drawn inwardly through the inlet neck of the bulb. Repeated compressions of the bulb will cause the bag to be inflated until the pressure exerted thereby about a persons arm is sufficient to cause blood to be congested in the veins and when this occurs the veins will become distended and prominently displayed. A hypodermic needle for injecting serum or medicine can then be very easily inserted into a vein. After the needle is in place the cap 16 may be loosened in order to allow the air to escape. `When the cap is loosened and the air passes outwardly through the neck, the bag or bladder will be gradually deflated. Therefore, the pressure about a persons arm will be gradually reduced and muscular contractions or other movements willnot be liable to take place which might cause the needle to be dislodged or broken.

Instead of having the tube connected with the bladder by a coupling as shown in Figure 3, it may be vulcanized or cemented to the bladder as shown at 2O in Figure 5.

Having thus described the invention, I

claim:

A tourniquet comprising a binding strip having one portion formed with a longitudinally extending pocket, a bladder in the pocket of said strip, and means to inflate said bladder consisting of a tube extending from the bladder intermediate the ends thereof, a bulb for forcing air through said tube into said bladder having an inlet at its outer end and an outlet at its inner end, an inwardly opening check valve for the inlet of said bulb, a tubular coupling leading from said tube and connected with the outlet end of said bulb, a neck leading transversely from said coupling intermediate the ends thereof constituting an air outlet,and a cap threaded upon said neck and having its walls formed internally with a longitudinally extending groove constituting an air passage open at its ends, and a pad in said cap to close the outer end of said neck when the cap is tightened upon the neck.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DR. ARTHUR R. KEMPF. [L s] 

